Process of purifying water.



Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. KORTEN.

PROCESS OF PURIPYING WATER.

APPLIOATION FILED 1120.9, 1907. BBNBWBD DB0. 24, 1908.

H. KORTEN.

PROCESS OF PURIFYING WATER. y APPLICATION FILED Dnc. 9, 1907, RBNBWEDDBO. 24, 190B.

913,827. Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 i @il H. KORTEN. PROCESS 0F `Fl'RIPYING WATER.ArPLIOATIoN FILED DB0. s, 1907. BBNEWBD DBO. 24, 190e.

913,827. Patented Ma1.2, 1909,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Eyes.

. UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY KOBTEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK NICHOLS, OFCHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

rnoonss or PURIFYING wn'rnn.

' Specication ofiLetters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Application led December 9, 1907, Serial No. 405,643. Renewed beoember24, 1908. Serial No. 489,138.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY KORTEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinventedcertain new and useful Im- 'provements in Processes of Purifying Water,

of which the following is a specicatlon.

My-invention'relates to an improved process for purifying feed water forsteam boilers.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved process forpurifying feed water for steam boilers whereby the scale formingsubstances shall be converted into non-scale forming substances and alarge percentage thereof `removed from the water before it passes intothe boiler.

A further object of my invention is to provide a process of purifyingfeed water as mentioned, which shall be Aof low cost to maintain inoperation, and which, when in operation, will cause Aany scale which haspreviously formed in `the boiler to bedetached from the surface of theboiler shell.

In carrying out my invention I employ a water purifier of eculiarconstruction and arrangement, an in the accom anying drawings illustratethe purifier in etail in order that the process may be more readilyunderstood.

Figure 1 is a side view of the exterior portions of the puriiier showingthe `cover plates that give access to its interior arrangements. Fig. 2is a sectional view on the line A-A of Fig. 1 with the cover platesremoved. Fig. 3 isa top plan view. Fig. 4 is a section on the line B--Bof Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on the line C-C of Fig. v2. elevation ofthe mercury seal and filter forming ja part of the purifier. Fig. 7 isatop plan view thereof. Fig. 8 is an axial section of the mercury sealand filter. Figs.' 9 and 10 are plan and sectional views respectively ofone of the elements of a re eating series of electro-positive plateswhic occupy the interior of the purier. Figs. 11 to 20 are detail planand sectional views of other positive elements making up the series ofelectroplates which is repeated from top downward 1n the purier. Figs.21, 22 and 23 are top,

side and bottom views respectively of the vbottom electro-plate, thelast of the positive series. Figs. 24 and 25 are top and sectional viewsrespectively of a copper or other electro-ne ative perforated basketwhich is suspende from lthe bottom element of 'the Fig. 6 is anl 'seriesof electro-positive plates. Figs. 126

In order that the process may `be better understood the purifier will beirst described in detail.

1 is thebase of the purifier secured to the lower chamber, 2 andprovided with *the outlet, 3 through which t be blown off to removesediment. lower chamber, 2 is provided with a threaded opening in itsupper 'side into which the cylinder, 4 formin the central portionyof thepurifier, is screwe The opposi-tcend of the cylinder 4 is screwed intoan upper section, '5 having the chamber, 6, the -inle't port, 7, `and'the outlet port,8. The inlet, 7 'has branched passages, 9 leading tothe chamber, 6 -o'n either side of theoutlet passage, f8 which entercentrally at the top off the chamber. The cylindrical poration, 4 of thepurifier -is e lower chamber may 'provided with a cop er lining, 10,land contains throughout its en h a series of zinc or zinc amalgamelectro-p ates resting at *the bottom on the plate, 27 which in turnrests on the lugs, 13 in the lower chamber, 2. The electro-plates are soarranged 'tha-t they form an inner cylindricalspace 1,1, and outerannular space, 12, which spaces afford tortuous passages through andbetween the perforations 'and projections. of the electroplates. l

The electrolates are assembled in sets of six members s own indetail iniFigs. -9 to 20, the number of sets used being governed by the length ofthe cylinder, 4. 114 and 15 are the first two plates-at the top ofa set.They rest upon the plate, 16 which is formed 'of a ring, 17 havingradial arms or webs, 18, the plate 14 lying inside ofthe ring and theplate, 15 outside thereof. rIhe plate, -161is "in turn supported-on landbolted centrally to the plate, ,20 by a bolt, 19 (see Fig. 309. Thisplate is similar to the plate, -16 invented but in addition -to the ringand-arms .i-t has on its upper side a lhorizontal web, '21 'having thep'erforations, 22. Below the plate, '20

The

, are the plates,

, set.

and 23, as shown by the arrows in o 23 and 24 which are placed rcspectiely around and Within the projectinging of plate, 20 thus completing thee ring of plate, 20 has' a proJecting edge, 25 which re ters in acorrespondmg recess, 26 in the p ate, 16 of the second set thus forminga continuous tight cylinder built up of the rings. The sets of platesare continued downwardly to the bottom of the cylinder, Il. where thebottom plate, 27 rests on the lugs, 13. The bottom plate, 27 1s formedas clearly shown in Figs'. 21 to .23, and has the slotted holes, 28 forsupportmg the metal baslret,'29, by means of the hooks, 30. The basketis filled withdisks, 31 laced together as shown at 32. (Figs. 28 an.29). Arranged within the chamber, 6 1s an annular cup, 33 which its inthe recess, 26 of the to plate, 16. The. cup has a cover, .34 into w `chare vtted the eins, 39 from which is suspended an inverted cup, 38,'thelower edge of which is immersed mfmercury filling the bottom of the cup33. The cover,'34 1s provided with a central aperture having a web, llon which rests Athe lower end of a conduit, 35 and lugs or ears, 42which ut into suitable slots in said conduit. The conduit communicateswith the outletpassage 8 by means ci a threaded ring, 36 on its upperend, which is screwed up against the lower side -oi ring, Lfd), thering, 40 tting lnto the outlet, 3 formingV a tight joint'. The annularcup, 33 contains mercury in the annular space, into which the rim of thecup, 38 1s ersed forming a mercury seal between the center of theannular cup, 33 and the conduit 35. j

The water enters the port, 7 and passes to the chamber, 75 through thebranch passages, 9. lt then flows downwardly with a zig-zag movementcreated by the `positrgm of the apertures and ribs oi the plates, 215,16,326) 7 wer through the annular space, 12 to the here it enters thebasket, 29

chamber, a,

through the apertures, 33 whereit comes in contact with the disks, 32,and then ascends in the central cylindrical spaces, 11 with a zig-zagmovement created by the position of the apertures andribs of the plates,24, 20, 16, and 14, as shown by the arrows 1n Fig. 30. lt thence passesthrough the mercury seal in the cup 33 and the conduit, 35 to theoutlet, 8. From the outlet 8 the water passes by a pig, 45 tothe boiler,46. U

y invention consists enerally 1n submittmg the feed Water to e ectricalaction as it asses from the source of supply to the bo er, which reducesthe sulfatos, carbonates, and other soluble scale forming substancesinto insoluble oXids and other non-scale formsubstances.

y invention further consists in agitatin the water which has beenelectrically acte upo'n as'mentioned to collect the small parclase?ticles of insoluble substances which are held in suspension intocoheringmasses which will settle in places where they can be drawn 0E orreadily filtered from the water.

It is obvious that various arrangements may be devised for electricallyacting upon the Water to chemically change its impurities and toagitate, collect and separate the imgirities both by precipitation andiltration.

owever, I iind the a aratus hereinbefore described simple and e 'cientfor performing all of the above steps in the rocess.

Further, and moreparticularly my invention consists dpassingthe waterover electro-positive an electro-negative elements, forming a voltaicile and from thence to the boiler in an unbro en stream, one of theelements Aof said voltaic pile being positive with relation to the ironof the boiler shell and the other negative. For this purpose zinc andcopper are preferably used.

To illustrate my improved process oi puritying feed water l shalldescribe the o eration of the purifier illustrated in the rawings. Thewater enters through the inlet port, 7 and passes into the chamber, 6,passing downwardly through the intricate passage,

12 bringing thev water into intimate contact with the electro-positiveor zinc elements llinghthe cylinder, 4. lt thence passes into the camber 2, throu h the basket, 29 and disks, 32 and u ward y through atortuous passage, 11. W en the device is supplied 'with water,electrical action is set up between the zinc, or. electro-positiveelements and the copper, or electronegative elements. The electricalaction thus setv up rapidly chan es the suliates, carbonatos and other4solub e scale forming substances into the oxids most oi which areinsoluble and the remainder harmless. The rapidity with which thischemical action taires place is substantially proportional to theintimacy of the contact between the water and the electroplates and thedegree ci proximity ci the positive and ne lative electro-plates; ln theevice describe all portions of the water are brought into intimatecontact with the plates during its passage through thetortuous,passages, 12 and 11. The intricacy of the passage also servesanother urpose, name to agitate the water to suc an eX- tent as to causethe iine particles of insoluble matter held in suspension to oohere inmasses of suiiicient magnitude to settle to the bottom of the deviceWhere the ma be readily drawn oil or to be readily tere therefrom. Theortions which settle, collect in the cham er, 2, and are readily drawnoff through the outlet, 3. From the passage, 11, the Water is passedthrough the mercury filter arranged at the top of the device. Thiscollects substantially all of the insoluble matter which is too minutelydivided to settle into the chamber, 2, as well als all of the rease andoils contained in the Water, the atter collecting in the top of theinverted cu 38. The Water asses from the filter to t e `boi1er in an unroken column 'through the pipe, ,45. The iron of the boiler iselectro-negative with relation to the zinc in the purifier hence, solong as the column of Water 1s uninterrupted, electrical action is setup between the zmc and iron. This causes a (uantity of hydro en to bereleased and col ect upon the `su ace of the, iron. The mechanicalaction of the hydrogen. causes the scale, if any has been formed fromthe boiler to disinte rate or become detached from the boiler shel andsettle as mud in the bottom of the boiler whence it can be readily drawnoff. According to the com osition of the scale nascent hydrogen and t esmall quantity of acid which is formed by the decomposition ofthesubstances, particularly the sulfates may or may not cause a furtherreduction of the scale.

In practice the zinc within the purifier has sufiiclent surface exposedto maintain an adequate local electrical action and to maintainelectrical action with the boiler. For obvious reasons the zinc platesare formed of an amalgam. I find an amalgam of zinc and mercurycontaining about 30 per cent. of the latter to be efficient. T his Ihave found to remain unchanged at a temperature of 212 Fahrenheit, atemperature beyond which the device is used in pactice. I pre-` fer toheat the Water to about 160 Fahrenf insoluble substances and thenfiltering i through mercury.

2. 'lhe process of purifying feed Water consisting in passing) the waterthrou h a tortuous passage etween electro-p ates forming a voltaic pileto change the soluble 1m urities into insoluble impurities and to colect them in mass some of which is precipitated and the rest held insuspension, drawing off the precipitate and filtering out the remainingimpurities by passing 'the water through mercury.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY KORTEN Witnesses:

PRESTON W. BARCLAY, 'FRANCES E. SHEEHY.'

